In Defense of Quantum Dualism - World Congress of Philosophy 2024 Presentation
<p dir="ltr">This is the presentation that accompanied the paper "In Defense of Quantum Dualism" by McAlpin and Cook, originally presented at the World Congress of Philosophy, 2024. The original paper is available at https://philpapers.org/edit/MCAIDO.<br><br>Ab...
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2025
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| Sumario: | <p dir="ltr">This is the presentation that accompanied the paper "In Defense of Quantum Dualism" by McAlpin and Cook, originally presented at the World Congress of Philosophy, 2024. The original paper is available at https://philpapers.org/edit/MCAIDO.<br><br>Abstract:<br><br>This paper explores the theoretical compatibility of substance dualism with a physicalist framework, challenging the notion that physicalism inherently precludes dualism. Acknowledging foundational physicalist principles like reductionism, weakly-emergent consciousness, conservation laws, and the limited impact of quantum indeterminacy, we challenge the conclusion that the universe is thus causally closed. Instead, we propose a speculative model where an extra-physical entity (akin to a “soul”) might intentionally influence quantum outcomes, and examine it as a possible mechanism for libertarian free will. We consider the “amplification problem” faced by the approach: the challenge of scaling subtle quantum influences, typically inconsequential, to a level that significantly impacts processes associated with human free will. Bob Doyle's Cogito model provides a solution, wherein quantum-level events can be linked to conscious human choices. Our paper does not seek to demonstrate that such a dualist model is probable, only that it is possible to construct a plausible dualist model within established scientific parameters.</p> |
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